Wanted firearm-wielding Hemet carjacking suspect shot by Gang Task Force officials during apprehension
HEMET, Calif., — Authorities say a wanted Hemet felon and suspected carjacker who fled from Riverside County Gang Task Force members was apprehended after Task Force officials opened fire on the firearm-wielding man Wednesday afternoon, March 2. The felon, who was struck by the officers’ and deputies’ gunfire, was wanted on three felony warrants for carjacking, robbery, drugs, and weapons charges, and was later booked into jail on nearly two dozen mostly felony charges.
The officer and deputy-involved shooting was followed just twenty minutes later by another Hemet shooting that happened about a mile away, when a felon chased his roommate out of their shared residence and shot the other man multiple times during a dispute over money. He was quickly apprehended and later jailed on multiple charges related to the shooting, including attempted murder.
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Deputies and officers from the Riverside County Gang Task Force were searching for Edgar Alejandro Solis, a 35-year-old Hemet resident, around 4:09 p.m., when they spotted him sitting in a silver Mustang in the 600 block of North Taschner Drive, southeast of Palm and Menlo avenues, Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Edward Soto has since reported.
Solis was wanted for three felony warrants for carjacking, robbery, drugs, and weapons charges, according to the Sergeant, who said that when Task Force officials attempted to contact him, he drove a short distance then abandoned the Mustang, fleeing on foot from officials.
It was not immediately clear of the Mustang Solis was spotted in and fled from was related to the carjacking he was being sought for.
Officials work at the scene of yesterday afternoon’s officer and deputy-involved shooting of a firearm-wielding carjacking suspect who fled from Gang Task Force officials in Hemet. Hemet Crime Society photos
“Deputies and officers chased the armed suspect through several yards and onto a property in the 600 block of Hillmer Drive,” Soto continued. “Once on the property, a deputy and officer-involved shooting occurred.”
Soto did not specify what exactly led to the officer and deputy-involved shooting, but he did say the suspect’s firearm was located at the scene of the shooting.
Solis was struck by the Gang Task Force officials’ gunfire and was immediately provided medical treatment. He was then transported to an area hospital for further treatment of his non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.
After being treated for his injuries, Solis was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on nearly two dozen mostly felony charges, including robbery, carjacking, vehicle theft, and witness intimidation, along with multiple narcotics possession and sales charges, and multiple prior felon and prison enhancements.
Although Soto said Solis would be held on $1.5 million bail, online jail records this morning indicated he remains in custody in lieu of $500,000 bail or bond.
SEE RELATED: Man shot multiple times after money-related argument between Hemet roommates erupts into violence
Soto went on to say that Riverside County sheriff’s deputies and California Highway Patrol officers were involved in the shooting and the involved deputies and officers have been placed on paid administrative leave per their Department policies.
The names of the involved deputies and officers have not yet been released.
“No deputies or officers were injured during this incident,” Soto explained, adding, “There are no outstanding suspects and there is no threat to the public.”
An investigator from the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office will lead this investigation, aided by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Force Investigations Detail.
Their investigation is active and ongoing.
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Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact Riverside County District Attorney Investigator Esteban Carranza at (951) 955-6705 or Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Investigator Dan Moody at (951) 955-2777. Callers can refer to incident file number MB220610001 and can remain anonymous.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 51, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and operates Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS), which act as stringer-news providers for other mainstream media organizations throughout the two regions they serve.
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.